


Love Isn’t Forward

by jyuubi



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cliche, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, Homophobia, M/M, Might be OOC, NaruSasu - Freeform, Self-Indulgent, Sex, Swearing, Unbeta'd, a lot of swearing, i sort of regret making naruto super tall but that happened lol, naruto is kind of an asshole, rating will certainly change, slow burn maybe, veryyy self indulgent and very cliche
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:28:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25822135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jyuubi/pseuds/jyuubi
Summary: When Naruto hears that Sasuke’s new heartbreak victim was one of his best friends, he decides that he had to take things into his own hands— after gently consulting his now grief-stricken, weeping friend, and figuring out that all of Sasuke’s exes had gone through the same thing, he arrives at a conclusion: break the heartbreaker’s heart, before anyone else falls victim.
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 64
Kudos: 107





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> college au lets + i always wanted to write a cliche, so here it is. I originally wanted to write angst, but while formulating a general idea for plot I cried bc i got too sad. not that it was that sad, I'm probably just very sensitive. lol. not too much angst in this one. 
> 
> warnings: unedited, will certainly have sex soon, a lot of swearing

“I’m going to fucking kill him.” 

“And what exactly are you going to do?” Ino sighed, trying her best to comfort the pinkette in her arms. 

“Beat him up,” Naruto scowls, “Anything!” 

Sakura’s sobs escalate in volume, her face puffy with hair sticking to her skin wetly. She sounded as if she were lost in her emotions, unsure what she truly wanted, even though all she was doing was shedding tears. “Don’t,” she cries out, “Sasuke was just being honest.” 

“Oh, really? What did he say that was _so_ honest?” 

“Naruto,” Ino cut, glaring at him. “Listen to her.” 

Naruto glared back as if she had said something so outrageous. “No way am I leaving an asshole after doing that to a friend of mine!” 

“Said _friend_ is telling you not to do something stupid!” 

“Ugh!” Naruto grumbled. “I’m going to do something. And it isn’t going to be stupid.” 

“Naruto!” Ino calls, but he was already well off and away. Naruto was going to find that stupid pretty boy and beat him up. Or something. Just something! 

Naruto rushes towards the courtyard, his feet crunching the dried warm damp leaves on the grass. The weather was a comfortable cold, and it kissed his skin well and nice. He could’ve been heating himself up with friends as they fucked around in laughter, instead, he was heating up in anger with intent to _fuck someone up._

He was trotting in anger, and it only jumps up a notch when someone rushes him and they tumble on the damp dirt. The underlying smell of fleabag hits him hard in the nose, and he tries not to snarl like an animal at the scent. 

Naruto recognizes the idiot as Kiba, and he frowns at him when the brunette gets up to leave him embarrassedly slumped on the ground. “What do you want, you mongrel?” 

Kiba runs a hand through his hair, grinning widely as he shoots a glance at his friend. “Uchiha Sasuke,” he simply said, and it reignites his dimming anger. Naruto never bothered with the Uchiha, but when Sakura suddenly got involved, shit hit the fan. He thought everyone who would break up with Sakura was a fucking moron, and Sasuke hit exactly that. A moron. 

“What about him?” Naruto asked, though not necessarily interested. He got up and dusted off the soil that stuck to his jeans. 

“He’s _single,”_ Kiba rolls his eyes, looking up at Naruto now that they both stood up straight; the blond stood nearly a foot taller than all of his peers. “D’ya think I have a chance with him?” 

Naruto never dropped his frown. “No,” Naruto easily says. “You’re not his type.” He checks his hoodie for any stains. None, otherwise he’d be wasting more time with Kiba to rattle him with money to wash his clothes. 

“What’s his type, then?” 

“Women,” Naruto rolls his eyes. He tapped his foot on the leaves, blatantly telling Kiba he wanted to leave. He had a certain boy to confront and if he were lucky, fuck over. 

“Clearly it hasn’t worked out if that really is his type,” Kiba huffs. “So, it’s worth a try.” 

“Go ahead, then. Get dumped like all of his other bitches.” 

Kiba gasped, looking genuinely offended. “I will not get dumped!” 

“Do what you want,” Naruto sighed, the conversation fatiguing him of any other emotion. “I don’t care.” 

Kiba kept his head high, unbothered with his friend’s nonchalance. 

—

What Naruto didn’t expect was for Kiba to find Sasuke first, ask him out excitedly— though it only looked like Kiba was babbling— only to sulk and walk away. Sasuke clearly rejected whatever offers Kiba had laid for him. 

Sasuke’s back was to Naruto, and with this the closest look he’s been to the boy, Naruto tries his best not to over-appreciate the slender shoulders and long, silky black hair that hid a pale neck, probably flushed in the cold weather.

If Sasuke were anything but an asshole, maybe Naruto would even willingly go to him. 

Naruto’s deflated anger had inflated yet again, but now that he was near the Uchiha, he didn’t exactly know what to do. 

Perhaps his angry self would storm right into the pretty boy’s face and yell profanities. Now, however, he was relaxed, and he knew he had to talk to Kiba before he did anything unnecessarily scarring. He threw the Uchiha a stiff grin as their eyes met.

He got nothing back. A frown overcomes his face as he turns away, who the fuck did Sasuke think he was? 

“Kiba!” Naruto called, just as they reached out of a normal person’s hearing zone. Sasuke’s hearing zone; but it would probably be fair if they assumed Sasuke was above the average at that, too. 

The brunette immediately turns to him, wailing and falling dramatically and forcing Naruto to hold his arms out to catch the boy. If he didn’t see his friend go through that harsh and blunt rejection, he may have weakened his arms and dropped Kiba right on the pavement. 

“What did he say?” Naruto figured it was better to get on with it right away. 

“He didn’t say anything! He just looked at me like I was the worst type of scum there ever was!” 

Naruto nearly chuckled. He always found people who drive others away so shamelessly quite amusing. Amusing in a way, that he couldn’t believe such people existed. Naruto couldn’t imagine what type of thinking one would have to go through to be so… mean. 

And, he didn’t want to say it, but Sasuke’s face seemed to be a large factor as to why people forgave him so easily. Naruto didn’t want to say that a friend of his could’ve been very shallow when choosing her significant other. 

It was stupid to think of, but perhaps those in the throes of emotion were helpless. He was no exception.

Looking at his friend overreacting in his arms, and remembering Sakura’s choking sobs, and thinking of the many other people that may have felt the same way— looked the same way; sobbing, hurting— he couldn’t help but let his feelings stand in the way. 

“It’s about time we give him a taste of his own medicine,” Naruto says, and as appropriate as it was for the situation, he cringed a little. It was straight out of a grade-A cliche love story. 

Kiba must’ve felt the same. “What’re you gonna do?” He snorts, “Like that one book— never mind, forgot what it was called— you’re going to make him confess and laugh at his face and say this was all a game?” 

“That’s stupid,” Naruto said, pulling Kiba up to get him to stand properly. “I’m just going to… tell him to stop.” 

“Hilarious,” Kiba replied dryly, “He’s not going to get any ‘medicine’ with that.” 

Naruto was going to hurt Sasuke, one way, or another. _Any_ way. 

—

Naruto didn’t know where to start. At all. 

He did notice a few changes in his daily campus life, though. One major one was the fact that Naruto could see Sasuke everywhere. Another was that his top three feelings the past week were annoyance, anger, and occasional over-excitement. 

How he didn’t notice Sasuke when he was with Sakura, he didn’t fucking know. Sasuke was never in his window of focus, and suddenly he was right in the middle and making him cross eyed. 

It wasn’t a bad thing all in all, as Sasuke sure did have a… good looking face. It was no hassle to look at someone so nice to look at. It didn’t hurt anyone, but it sure as hell fucking annoyed Naruto. Sasuke was an unwelcome entity in his young life, yet he slowly intruded every one of Naruto’s senses slowly but surely, like a disease. 

The first sense under the Sasuke plague list was his sense of sight. He didn’t know touch would follow right after. 

“Ack,” Naruto grimaced, someone bumping right into his back between his shoulder blades. It likely hurt the person more than it did him. Naruto turned around, and looked down to see a Sasuke with winter flushed skin. 

Seeing him up close, too close— Naruto’s urges to punch the boy had disappeared. Sasuke was built quite smaller than him, and it would simply be unfair if he could easily throw this dark-haired bastard across a room. 

Yes, that’s right. 

If he couldn’t hurt the man physically, he could just as easily do it emotionally. Or so he hopes. Naruto had confidence in his ability to influence people— usually for the better— and he hopes it wouldn’t be too different with Sasuke. He was going to make Sasuke regret being the _bastard_ he was, hurt him, to make him realize what others had been feeling in his hands. 

Should he apologize? He didn’t want to, but if he… 

“My bad,” Naruto said, sounding completely unapologetic and more in spite. 

“Hn,” Sasuke looks away, bumping past Naruto’s arm harshly as he walks away. 

Yeah, fuck, he was going to hurt Sasuke. Was that how he acted towards Sakura when they were in a relationship? ‘Hn’ this, ‘hn’ that? Shoving shoulders and terrible staring? 

A hand lands on his shoulder. “What’s going on?” 

He turns to his friend. The hair that spiked up when he had a ponytail always amazed him. Fucking gravity-defying hair. He didn’t want to admit he found Sasuke’s own gravity defying hair more amazing. 

“Uchiha being a cunt, is all,” Naruto answered, the hand dropping off his shoulder. 

“Sounds completely more than that.” 

“He’s stalking me.” 

Shikamaru’s eyebrows raise in question, “You’re just assuming that.” 

“You don’t even believe me!” Now, Naruto was simply being stupid. They continue their trudge to their next hall, now that the crowds have dispersed the tiniest bit; he couldn’t move like Sasuke, who seemed to dissolve into any environment yet at the same time not. 

“You’re just angry. You’re letting it get to your head, and you I bet you can’t fucking think straight,” Shikamaru sighed, “Tell me what you’re planning to do.” 

“I don’t know! I just… want him to know that he’s being a dick!” Naruto nearly yelled, getting frustrated. He had little thoughts on what he truly wanted to do, how to do anything, and Kiba’s little comment on love-revenge earlier stuck to him like a curse. 

“Well, why don’t you just tell him straight out, then?” 

“It feels cheap!” Naruto tried, getting lost in his own thoughts, even though he told Kiba he’d ‘talk’ the Casanova out of Sasuke. “God, I don’t care anymore.” 

“Good. Just focus on helping Sakura feel better,” Shikamaru chuckled, sounding as if he figured Naruto’s resolve would break so easily. 

But, no, Shikamaru was going to be wrong, and he was going to help his friend through getting revenge on Sasuke. His own way. 

Shikamaru was no idiot, though. Naruto’s mannerisms never slipped past his fingers. “You’re not going to stop right now, aren’t you?” 

“No.” The door to their hall was in sight, and all they had to do was get to it. 

“What are you going to do?” 

“I…” Naruto trailed off… What did Sakura feel? “Heartbroken, right? I want him to feel something of the same degree!” 

“That’s… outrageous,” Shikamaru whispered, “But interesting. Don’t get me involved. I don’t care and I’m not encouraging you, okay?” 

Naruto rolled his eyes, totally fucking offended that Shikamaru wouldn’t assist in his _revenge;_ Sakura was his friend too! 

“Sounds like you’re encouraging it,” Naruto retorted, “If you find it so interesting.” 

“Yeah, scratch that. I totally did not say anything, and you aren’t going to wrap me into the bullshit you’re about to jump in,” he stops to glare at Naruto, “Okay?” 

Naruto only shrugs him off. Anything could happen, even now, as he wasn’t sure what exactly his game plan was despite having a slowly solidifying goal. 

Entering the hall, just up onto the large steps and many seats, was Sasuke. 

He’d make his first move now. 

—

Shikamaru had left him for a girl across the hall, throwing him a thumbs up in a weak way of saying good luck, to which Naruto had received none. 

Because sitting beside Sasuke didn’t do jack shit. They’d done their lecture and the man had bolted away as if Naruto’s presence meant nothing. All Naruto was left with was the memory of Sasuke’s hands shittily writing down ‘notes’ in unwarranted speed. 

Sasuke’s imperfections were stacking up well and nice.

How the fuck did Sakura ever bag a fucking asshole, even for a while? If that was how he’d reacted to anyone who wanted his presence, Naruto wondered how Sasuke got into relationships at all.

Naruto puts Sasuke aside for a while, focusing on what was more important at the moment. 

“How are you, Sakura?” Naruto asked softly, wrapping his arms around her, not wanting to remind her of how he stormed away in anger. He was a college student, in fact, nearing the end of it. Naruto had to act like it, even for a while.

He figured it wasn’t the right time to ask her about how they got together in the first place. The girl held a scowl in her face when they looked at each other across the courtyard, but it dissolved into a press of lips once they were in each other’s close proximity. 

She didn’t seem to care too much, hugging Naruto back. “I’m alright now.” 

“D’ya wanna talk about it?”

“No, not right now. I’ll tell you soon,” she mumbled in reply, tapping his back to get him to let go. Giving her a final squeeze, he does, not pushing it. 

“So, anything you want to do?” He asked, in hopes to help his friend. Gloom followed the girl, and he wished it would leave right away. 

“Nothing,” she sighed, and Naruto’s mood drops immensely. Sakura was visibly hurt, and he couldn’t help but feel it too. “Let’s just go to my room. Eat some junk.” 

“Okay,” he agreed, and Sakura led them away. 

—

“You don’t have any food!” Naruto groans, looking around Sakura and Ino's shared fridge; and nothing. Nothing but grass, oats, and some cheese. Not even any biscuits to _go_ with cheese! The cupboards were as much of a barren wasteland, and the sight of it was quickly making Naruto hungry. 

Sakura rolls around on the sofa, shrugging off her jacket and dumping it on the coffee table, unbothered but clearly hungry herself and not in the mood to eat like a herbivore. “Go buy some sweets. From the cafe-bakery thing. Sweet bread and all, buy it.” 

Naruto looks over the counter, about to ask her if she was going to pass some cash, but it wasn’t often they treated each other outside cheap beer and spicy chicken. Bread shouldn’t be too expensive, right? 

He slips on some flip-flops, which unsurprisingly were too small for him, but wearing shoes and tying up some shoelaces seemed to take too much effort. “I’ll go buy some, then” he said, tapping his pockets to feel if his phone and wallet were in hand. “Bye,” he called out again when Sakura didn’t reply. 

Unlocking the door, he waves at the girl on the sofa as she whispers her thanks. 

— 

Maybe he should’ve just worn his shoes. Naruto likely looked incredibly stupid, and he felt just as incredibly cold. He was literally walking on his toes, balancing on the front of his feet to try and fit the small slippers. It caused him to walk awkwardly; and again, incredibly stupid. 

Pushing into the store, and heartily embracing the warmth it offers, he forgets the uncomfortable way he walked. 

Eyes skimming over the area, he spots a familiar blob of gravity-defying black hair. 

Sasuke was clearly stalking him. But, a little annoyed that he didn’t feel annoyed right away, he spent more seconds just… ogling the boy. He was starting to unwillingly write down another counter list of Sasuke antidotes on what must’ve attracted people to him. 

The serenity. 

The way someone would be okay with silence and Sasuke’s indifference if seemingly warm moments like that would happen. 

But to hell and back, no way in hell would that be enough for someone to stay. Anyone who handled Sasuke’s bullshit either had to be called an idiot or praised for their patience; and the former was the right answer— it was always Sasuke who broke up with said person! 

Squinting, he shoves his hands in his jacket pocket before realizing he stood in the middle of the front, unmoving and was practically a disturbance to other customers. 

Before he made his way towards him, however, he ordered whatever looked pleasant and Sakura-type food: pretty, sweet, and fruity. He spent a good forty dollars, and asked for whatever would taste good hot to be heated. 

“Hi,” Naruto greeted, plopping down on the one-seater sofa right across Sasuke. 

No reply. Naruto’s annoyance spiked a significant amount. 

“I heard you were single,” and to Naruto’s surprise, Sasuke responded, though he only held a look that expressed he wasn't believing in Naruto.

And, in the spur of the moment, with Sasuke looking fucking amazing even with the cold light not making him look any less intimidating, he says, “You’re a fucking asshole, you know that?” 

Sasuke glared, an expression Naruto thought for a fleeting moment was cute. 

“No reply?” Naruto pushed, feeling more of disbelief rather than annoyance at that point— that he had no right to feel— they were strangers to one another. 

Sasuke’s glare intensified, “At least I’m not some frat boy who fucked everyone remotely interested in his cock.” 

Naruto held in a gasp, gritting his teeth as he held the paper bag of pastries in hand tightly. For the record, he, at the very least, didn’t have sex with anyone he knew had feelings for him as to not lead them on. 

“I, unlike you,” Naruto glowers, “Don’t break their heart and leave them to rot afterwards.” 

Sasuke scoffed, leaning in to grab tissue off the small table. He took a sip of his coffee, and even Naruto found the small, clearly natural act hot. “You don’t know anything about me,” he said. 

“Well, neither do you!” 

_“You’re_ the one who approached me,” Sasuke raised an eyebrow, sounding bored of the blond, as if he’d gone through a similar situation before. “Anything more?” 

“You’re a stuck-up bitch, is more. I don’t care who you are, you’re a fucking shitty person and you don’t deserve all these chances you get!” He whisper-yelled, slamming a fist on the armchair, the wild action compelling people around them to look at him; even when it made no sound. 

Sasuke stood up, albeit a little less dramatic than what Naruto saw in movies, leaving the rapidly cooling dark coffee on the table. His face was rid of the earlier nonchalance, replaced with one more of anger. Naruto felt himself falter at the gaze, the beginnings of his own shame creeping up his spine.

And without a word, Sasuke left, ignoring the surprised faces of girls whose eyes followed him, eventually shooting right back to the blond as though nothing else was more interesting. 

Naruto sighed, slumping back on the chair, wondering what the fuck he just did and why it brought conflicting feelings in him.

But, one thing was crystal clear: Naruto was going to break the Casanova's heart, before he broke anyone else's. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayt sorry for making Naruto so immature, but i have plans for him (i think)
> 
> // I already have a general storyline set, I just need to write it well cos its not the same as the immature wholesome Naruto high school au 
> 
> //this fic is more self-indulgent (hence the very short chapter), and will be 100% fucking cliche, no matter how much i try to make it grounded to earth + but since its short chaps, chances r i will be updating quite frequently, despite school coming up lol


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unedited 
> 
> naruto pov & sasuke pov

Naruto told no one about his plan, fearing he’d only look like an idiot, even though he rightfully was. No matter how clear his motivation was, he didn’t feel the  _ need _ to tell anyone. Not at the moment. 

_ And, _ it certainly wasn’t the right thing to think of first thing in the morning after a night of sex. Or really, a night after being forced to go to sleep when your partner couldn’t take any more. 

Said partner was one of Sasuke’s exes, too. 

The girl was totally opposite of Naruto, all pale skin and dark long hair that contrasted his, quiet and introverted and rather anti-social, had approached him in wants for sex. Naruto shrugged and agreed; it had been a while since his last time, and if he were going to get Sasuke and made sure the boy fell in love with him alone, his dick was going to be free for a while. 

Naruto throws off the blanket that kept him warm for the night, his side brushing across the girl’s smooth skin, immediately feeling a slight jolt of arousal. He  _ supposed _ he had a good night, or he really was just blue-balled for a little too long. 

Naruto ignores the feeling, not wanting to bother the sleeping girl and knowing the cold outside would help wane his erection. He picks off the clothes messily shed on the carpeted floor, putting on what looked like his and made a move to look for his phone. Finding that it peacefully laid on the nightstand, he stretches as he leans down to grab it, along with his wallet that had no business reflecting so much light into his eyes early in the morning.

He slips on the sneakers by her door, tiptoeing out and rushing past another girl in their obviously shared kitchen, and he throws her a smile he hoped was gentle in acknowledgement. Naruto then unlocks the door with the key that hung quietly, walking out the door without a second thought. 

The building’s hallways were oddly similar to Sakura’s own, and the thought solidifies when he takes in the similarities the streets showcased outside. It was snowing, just the barest of amounts, but Naruto loved all the cold it brought. Cold was his favorite… _ temperature, _ in contradiction to what he had been told about how his personality leaned in the more sunny side. 

Walking around the large building, Naruto relishes the cold he was rarely able to feel when he was a person constantly surrounded by others— contrary to what Sasuke knew about him, he was no frat boy, but being a part of a good soccer team had brought him natural popularity. 

And yet with the fierce dream to succeed in the sport; he was here wanting to serve petty revenge against a certain pretty boy that refused to leave his head.

The memory of Sakura hurting because of a notorious heartbreaker continued to fuel his drive, and he was sure he was never going to leave at that point. Naruto wasn’t to back out, and this didn’t seem like a situation where he was going to, either. 

Just as he’d expected, his short-term erection had fulfilled itself as short-term, already back to it’s usual state with the help of the cold. 

Naruto walks by Sakura’s home, contemplating to walk in uninvited but instantly decides against it— he was afraid to see her in a state of undress, which he learned the hard way how much he hated seeing good friends naked after noisily walking in with fried chicken to share, only to get smacked in the face accompanied by his own feeling of dread and disgust (not that she looked bad. She didn’t— no comment— Naruto wasn’t interested, neither was she). 

Reminded that there was a cafe nearby, and despite the state of his wallet, the pastries he had eaten yesterday were unforgettably delicious, making it no strain to spend some more extra cash on himself. 

Just like yesterday, he was blessed with the sight of Sasuke, though on a seat far from where they had their little quarrel. An urge to apologize hits him hard in the throat, clawing and painful; as much as his ego told him to do otherwise and simply leave it be, if he wanted to bring himself back to the Uchiha’s good side, he had to be nice.

Nice started with being sincere. Being nice to someone he didn’t like started with being good at faking feelings, and he wasn’t good at expressing what he didn’t feel. With that, he felt no need to be nice other than to apologize for being a little bitchy. 

Like Sasuke, he too knew he had the natural charm, but  _ unlike _ Sasuke, he knew when to stop when he himself didn’t like it. Naruto could also see that Pretty Boy jumped into relationships as much as he could, though all had been with women; like Kiba had said, none seemed to last, and he was going to use the same reasoning he found hypocritically stupid.

Naruto bought himself a large cinnamon bun that was in discount as a side with sweet coffee, and an extra croissant he hoped the Uchiha would accept. 

Yes, uh, that would be his first move. 

The food quickly reached his hands, and he proceeded to do exactly what he had done yesterday with different intentions: sit down, small talk, not get anyone mad… and somehow get a date out of it. Just like he’d done with his one and only past girlfriend, that had been his crush— date, kiss, more dates, sex, on repeat until both of them had lost feeling. 

Naruto had felt the loss of connection first, and was surprised to hear that his girlfriend finally had enough too, after a month of detachment. She was the one to teach him to end it when he felt nothing anymore, to prevent unnecessary anger (that she, being mature and rather understanding, did not bitch on him and instead taught him), and he had kept the sentiment until now.

It helped him stay faithful and committed, and as much as he disliked Sasuke, he’d never heard of his actually committing to infidelity, so if ever he did get the chance, cheating was in no way the right way to… break someone’s heart. 

From the bottom of his heart, his intentions were to bring justice to those who were hurt, and maybe restore a little bit of the ego Sasuke had ripped away from him. 

Convinced with his own reasoning, he places the tray on the small table. 

“What do you want?” Sasuke asked first, curling his slender arms as he set his spine straight against the cushion. Naruto was only shocked that he bothered to ask in the first place. 

He set the plate of warm croissant in front of Sasuke, off the tray and right beside the steaming ceramic cup of black coffee; the radiating heat and flickering lights against the dark surface reminiscence of the anger in Sasuke’s eyes just the other day. 

“Nothing,” he said stupidly. Having a goal and experience didn’t technically mean he had a proper plan. 

Nevermind, he figured dating Sasuke wouldn’t be as different as to dating a girl. Dates were dates! 

Sasuke lifts a leg to cross it over his knee, leaning in to grasp the warm mug with slender fingers while simultaneously ignoring the croissant. Chances were he thought Naruto was simply being condescending, and cocky, taking and intruding in his space; Sasuke acted as if yesterday didn’t happen, an expression completely impassive and uncaring that hung firm on his pretty face. 

“I got that croissant for you,” Naruto cut, scared that Sasuke’s dark leather shoe hung oddly close to the pastry, threatening to dirty it. It was, well, quite expensive for a fucking smack of buttered carbohydrates, and if Sasuke weren’t going to eat it, he might as well leave it. 

An elegant eyebrow lifts, the other hidden by a silky curtain of hair. Coal irises that stayed fierce, slowly intensifying as they ran out of patience, looked at him with painful expectancy. 

“I don’t want it,” was the simple reply. 

“It’s as an apology,” Naruto finally said, glancing at how the shoe slowly shrunk away from the pastry. 

Sasuke scoffed, understandable as to how pathetic of an apology it was; he took a sip of his coffee, as though that was the end of their conversation. 

“I’m sorry,” Naruto sighed, seeing as he wasn’t going to get anything more from dawdling around, “Y’know, for yesterday.” 

Sasuke paused, using a free hand to pull the hair that hid half his face behind a flushed ear. Some loose strands fell right back to its original place again anyway, making Naruto appreciate a little more of the beauty. A hint of pink falls across the pale cheeks, one that was similar to yesterday. 

However, the tender look was contradicted right away due to Sasuke’s nature. “Forgiven. Now, leave.” 

“No,” Naruto said, but stood up, ignoring Sasuke’s look of annoyance. The cinnamon bun and coffee he left was sure to give Sasuke no ideas that he was actually going to leave. “I’ll be right back,” he explained, patting his thighs and walking towards the cafe toilet. 

*

“Didn’t know you were one for sweets, Sasuke-kun,” a sickly sweet voice called out to him, just as a pair of pillowed softness pressed against his shoulder, one he was very familiar with that were breasts. A thigh sat over his arm chair, bare and very showy in a somewhat gentle call to bring him in. 

It never did, yet he always let it happen. Even when women weren’t remotely what he was attracted to. Maybe. He didn’t know. 

But apparently seeing Sasuke kiss a boy once was enough for Fugaku to practically send him away in shame. It didn’t make sense; and now that he was speeding through the highway of women, he could never find the right road home. 

He may not know… but it was starting to get clearer with every flat and insincere kiss he shared. It was pure, pure denial, that the world could hate him for not loving the opposite sex. 

The sight of his most persistent ex-girlfriend he was with annoying. The girl seemed to never understand his boundaries, taking advantage of his popularity and hers by spreading shit about him that snagged respect off the people who  _ used _ to respect him. 

Spreading shit; that he was glad that stayed as rumors because they were, in fact, rather fucking true. 

Like the fact he refused to have to go further than kissing and ‘cuddling’— was because he was a virgin. 

It was never a shame, as taught by his mother to never rush things one she spotted him take a nip of valentine’s chocolate from what she didn’t know was a boy— he didn’t eat sweets! But soon after, the continued talk of sex and even more sex in the first party he let himself attend, something compelled him to shut up about having no experience. 

Sasuke doesn’t remember the last time he talked to her. He doesn’t want to. 

Sasuke didn’t know whether it was a good idea or not— what if more people wanted to have sex with him once they figured out he was inexperienced? Or perhaps the rumor was something people strongly believed in, as to why they were already coming after him like the wild animals they were? 

Relationships, however, he was okay with them. 

Contrary to popular belief, Sasuke was not that much of a shitty boyfriend. He was a little too blunt when breaking up with girls, and perhaps that was what caused him to be called a ‘heartbreaker.’ But blunt only meant honest, and maybe he should’ve been more gentle at times, but… 

“It’s not mine,” Sasuke sighed, setting the soles of his feet back flat on the floor in a somewhat defensive position. 

Hinata pouted, pulling away just a little so her breasts didn’t press against his arm, but still hung close by enough for him to feel some of her warmth. “You’re on a date so early in the morning?” 

He rolled his eyes. “I am not.” 

“No need to lie, Sasuke-kun,” she purred, lifting a finger to trail it across his thinly clothed arm. Suddenly he wished he never took off his coat. It sent a shiver down his spine, either one of shock or disgust, but it wasn’t a feeling he was entirely fond of. 

Her eyes fall on the table yet again, “Can I have the croissant? Looks like it’s yours,” she asked, already moving to get to the food. 

Though she was right about him not liking sweets, he didn’t like the idea of someone taking what was given to him.

Before he brought a hand to slap the equally pale wrist away, a tan one intruded and blocked her path. 

“Nu-uh,” Naruto grinned, looking at the two of them, long gone of his tired mannerisms from earlier. “I bought that for Sasuke, not for you!” 

Hinata takes her hands away, sitting straight as she looks up at the blond. The sudden silence—a little cloying as it stuck to the air unwanted— confuses Sasuke, and he looks up to see the two of them staring at each other, Hinata’s face scrunched up while Naruto holds an innocent, yet clearly impatient grin. 

Fingers yet again curl around his arm, Hinata’s sweet voice stroking his ears. “You’re on a date with  _ Naruto?”  _

Feeling the need to shrug her hands away, Sasuke slides her hands away, sighing at his cooling coffee. “I’m on no date.” 

“Oh, yes, we’re on a date,” Naruto says, as though Sasuke said nothing. Annoyance prickles his skin, Naruto’s cockiness spurring him on to compete. 

Hinata must’ve noticed this, and instead of backing up and letting them handle their shit, she acted to intensify the clear negative cloud between them. “That’s rather… odd of you, Naruto,” she chuckled, finally getting up, “You’re very bold. A night like  _ that _ and you go on a date the next morning? Let alone my  _ ex.”  _

“I’m afraid that’s none of your concern,” Naruto easily replied, stepping away to make space for her to leave. 

By that point, Sasuke felt terribly confused and left out, feeling as though the two of them casually chattered about him as if he weren’t there. It was annoying, and such times he hated his own natural need to stay silent. 

Sasuke feels a gentle poke against his cheek, and soon Hinata is gone. 

He ignores Naruto, sipping his now lukewarm coffee, watching carefully as the man takes a seat in front of him yet again. Sasuke considers leaving the blond in the dust again, just as he did yesterday, and it honestly wasn’t much of an argument when Naruto was a natural cunt— but with gently considering the apology and what in the fuck exactly brought the idiot to him, giving a little of his time was no worry. Just until he finished his coffee. 

That didn’t mean he was going to initiate any more shit, however. He could count on Naruto when it came to that. 

“So,” Naruto starts, a little cheery for his taste but nevertheless looked… genuine, he supposed. “When are we going on an actual date?” 

Sasuke scoffed, the audacity of this fucking frat boy— “Why?” He took a long sip, “Aren’t I a  _ ‘stuck-up bitch?’ _ And that I’m a  _ ‘fucking shitty person?’” _

Naruto visibly panicked, paling as he stopped tearing up his cinnamon bun. A look of anger spills across his face for half a second, the man chuckling out a reply. “Dunno, I just… Like you, I guess?” 

“Bullshit,” Sasuke spat, not forgetting about how Naruto, like himself, attracted people; though it seemed that Naruto loved it, while he, on the other hand, got attention from all the wrong people. It didn’t help that despite diving deep into each other’s bad side with this hot fucking blond, Sasuke felt himself soften under the royally cobalt eyes, full of zeal and emotions yet to be discovered. 

He was jealous, in a way, that Naruto dealt with things and people so easily while he only looked like a  _ stuck-up _ person. 

Not to mention how shit went down yesterday. No one had really directly insulted him, and with the clear ferocity Naruto expressed, something swelled in his chest and told him to stay away, that he was only going to get hurt. So he did, though  _ already _ a little hurt, unable to truly wall away others’ negative opinions of him with no constructive criticism. 

It simply hurt. No proper human would be able to ignore what a number of people have against you. 

Besides his curiosity on what the idiot truly wanted with him, the side where he closed off so hard— the side that told him to embrace who he truly was— was unwillingly resurfacing with the prospect of going on a date with someone who  _ wasn’t  _ a woman. 

Not with a slightly stinky boy who claimed he had a big dick, but with a blond that he seemed to piss off rather quickly, unafraid of his glares and fighting against his intimidating nature. One who he was similar with, but at the same time entirely different from. 

That’s right. They never talked before. 

They were completely different; of the same level of  _ human _ but on a completely different spectrum. 

His heart told him to follow, his mind told him to deny, but always follow your gut— and it told him to wait with caution. 

So, he would. 

“I won’t go on a date with you,” Sasuke simply said, knowing the sentiment would change the next time. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yoo i was supposed to update 2 days ago, but then i joined a disc call when my friends were calling n it turned out they were playing minecraft 😭😭 n i was already seated there in front of my laptop ready to write, but then they sounded like they were havin sm fun so i decided to play instead : ) happened the next day too lols
> 
> anyway from now on it'll mostly be naruto n sasuke interacting :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for later than usual update. ha. i've been fighting my friends and playing minecraft.

“Didn’t think I’d see you here,” Naruto greeted, sliding a bill over the counter at Sasuke. The shock had numbed his thinking— and the first feeling in the sight of the Uchiha wasn’t annoyance or incredible hatred for once. It was curiosity, and a little bit of unwarranted interest. 

Naruto didn’t like that it was clear he was falling for the Uchiha charm (whatever it was) much too early to his revenge plot. 

“Hn.” 

And in that instant, he was reminded why exactly he disliked Sasuke. Anti-social, uncaring, a dick, heartbreaker, cocky for someone who had shitty handwriting, and most of all: he who broke his best friend’s heart. He glared at the man, who had unfortunately already passed his attention to the customer beside him, not letting him make any more actions. Not wanting to inconvenience bystanders, he walks away, waiting at the end of the counter to wait for his coffee. 

Sasuke wasn’t the one working on the coffee, and though he knew that workers often did their jobs in rotation, Naruto wondered if Sasuke acted as douche-y to him as he did to other people. Well, he may have been exaggerating Sasuke’s douche-ness, but, still. Sasuke didn’t seem like the best person to be put in front of customers. 

“Naruto!” Someone called, placing the drink near him, giving space just in case it wasn’t actually his; but, it was, and he quickly swipes it away after smiling and mumbling a thanks at the person. 

The man blushes, so Naruto takes that as a little sign to look a little more; taking in the generally feminine features of bright eyes and gentle cheeks, directly contradicted by the chiseled pale chin. Long brown hair was tied up into a neat ponytail, neat hands patiently tapping fingers on the wooden counter. 

“Hi?” Naruto said, when the man hadn’t left with clearly more orders to finish. He stayed to grab some straws, and sprinkle some cinnamon right beside it, but was now half-frozen in the spot while another pretty boy looked at him. 

The man shook in surprise, throwing him a smile of his own before holding out a piece of paper, with numbers in a straight line that could only mean it was a phone number. 

Naruto takes it politely, watching as the stranger turns and continues his job. He glances at Sasuke, checking to see if the raven had seen the recent exchange; annoyed to feel disappointed that the man hadn’t shown a single bit of reaction, tapping away at the cash register. 

But… why would he, anyway? They’d only met a few days ago— it was stupid of Naruto to think Sasuke had an inkling of care spared for him. 

He stuffs the paper in his pocket, using the free hand to grab and sprinkle the spicy sweet brown powder on the whipped cream, grabbing a straw with the other. Sparing one more quick look, he decides to make the plan for that day, slowly sipping on his frappe as he sat the rest of his day away. 

—

A slender hand slams on his table, roughly swinging his hands around the table with a damp rug. Naruto jumps a little in shock, looking up at Sasuke, who was carrying a frown, though not looking at him. 

“Why are you here?” He asked, clearly annoyed. 

Naruto finds pleasure in the tired expression— which shouldn’t be the way to his goal, to be honest, but angering the man sort of felt good. “Let’s go on a date.” 

Sasuke sighed, “I don’t go on dates with idiots who drink cold coffee in the middle of winter.” 

Okay, just as how good Naruto was with pissing Sasuke off, it was no different with Sasuke easily pissing him off. “It’s not that cold,” Naruto said, doing his best to shrug off whatever negative feelings started to bubble up. He needed to be on another level of mind to get through any of Sasuke’s fucking walls. 

Sasuke only rolled his eyes, standing straight once he decided that the table was clean, looking down at Naruto with open yet suspicious eyes. “What do you really want?” 

Naruto had no time to hesitate. “A date.” 

Sasuke looked taken aback, as if it was the first time Naruto had asked the question. The same light blush had fallen over his cheeks, just as it seemed to be the previous times they’ve met; either of the cold, Sasuke getting angry… but this one, Naruto couldn’t pinpoint what. 

Sasuke froze and glared. “Don’t you think it’s a little suspicious that a guy who called you a  _ stuck-up bitch _ would suddenly want to go on a date with you? Let alone one who has an affinity for women.” 

Naruto tried not to get angry, snorting instead, “Come on, you said that I was some _ frat boy,  _ who fucked anyone remotely interested in my _ cock. _ Doesn't that apply to men as well?” And it was true; Naruto wasn’t one to care about gender. Just sex, and making sure both parties felt good, though he  _ did _ do it more with women. 

“I was talking about myself,” Sasuke said, oddly starting to shift on his feet as he held on to his pressing expression, eyes fierce as he looked at Naruto. 

“Well,” Naruto shrugged, his own glare diffusing. The subtle changes in the air and Sasuke’s mannerisms were enough to fuel Naruto confidence— and the undeniable fact that Sasuke was  _ considering _ going on that date. “If you’re going through so much women… And none of which seem to work…” A flash of Sakura’s crying face surfaces in Naruto’s mind, “Isn’t it time to try something new?” 

It hurt to use Kiba’s reasoning, but if he wanted to get anywhere near this mystery man, cheese seemed to be the way. Clearly after so much experience in dating, Sasuke wasn’t used to… affection, per se. Or maybe it was because Naruto was a man. 

Sasuke’s lips press into a thin line, his sight flickering to look past the large windows, the sun high up in the sky, bright rays bouncing off the soft snow on the pavement. Naruto followed his line of sight, wondering if Sasuke liked such weather, and if he had to adjust his date plans for the man. 

When Sasuke doesn’t say anything, Naruto jumps ahead with silent intention— to get to know him better, or something. “Y’know, for a rich guy, it’s really surprising that you’re working,” he chuckled, not realizing what he had just said was completely contradictory to his sentiment. 

It was also clearly the wrong thing to say as Sasuke slid back to his normal, brooding self, softened eyes no longer present. “My final answer is no,” he muttered, just as a girl enters the cafe and calls out to him. Sasuke spares him one final glance before turning away. 

“Wait,” Naruto called, a tan hand wrapping around Sasuke’s wrist, and he immediately feels the smooth skin and the bone underneath. His fingers graze over Sasuke’s palm, the tiny interaction enough to tell him how soft, yet rough the hand was. 

Sasuke stopped to look at him, waiting expectantly.

“Your shift ends now, right?” Naruto continued, “Not a date, let’s just hangout.” 

The other only scoffed in reply, ripping his wrist off the light grip and walking away to where the girl had disappeared. 

— 

It had been ten minutes of Sasuke nowhere to be seen in the cafe, not even walking out the door to Indicate he left, for Naruto to realize that Sasuke, in fact, was no longer around. 

He stood up and walked to the counter, facing the girl who had called out to Sasuke earlier. She wasn’t fazed at all, and it made Naruto think that Sasuke had truly run away. “Uh, the other guy earlier,” Naruto started, “Where is he?” 

The girl smiled confusedly, “Sasuke? He left a while ago.” 

Of course. Why was Naruto surprised? This was the man that was stupid enough to leave Sakura. Thankfully only a little offended, he thanks the girl and makes his way outside. 

And though ten minutes was a lot of time for someone to leave and find their way somewhere else, Naruto, admittedly, felt a little excitement when he saw Sasuke around a usually quiet corner. Usually, as no one really hung out in corners where the sun didn’t hit in public, but all he heard were two voices yelling, and not the gentle whisper of wind that you’d expect. 

He followed the sign, and sure enough, there were two figures under the shadow.

“I understand what you feel! But—” A sigh followed, one of that was similar to Sasuke’s own, but deeper, huskier— different— with an aura that told him this happened often. 

“Again, I don’t want to hear it!” Sasuke cuts him off, the strength of his glare bouncing off every surface of the alley. Naruto could feel it from where he stood, getting closer and a tad nervous with every supposedly unhurried step he took.

“Sasuke,” Another sigh, the man’s long hair fluttering around his shoulders. They were so engrossed in their argument that they weren’t able to notice Naruto, someone who was rather showy and hard to miss. 

The excitement he held only moments ago was cancelled out right away with a sudden rush of irritating worry when he finally takes a good look at Sasuke, with an even stronger look of anger than he’d ever seen, seemingly arguing with the man. His back was to the blond, and all he could see was long hair, a tall stature in neat, dark clothes with dark hair and pale skinned— made a move to grab Sasuke, spurring on Naruto’s baser instincts; instantly moving to Sasuke’s defense. 

The man does indeed get a good grab of Sasuke’s coated arm, and Naruto instantly rips it off once finally in reach; even though Sasuke looked like he was about to do it himself. 

“Naruto,” Sasuke snarls, though not particularly directed towards him. He gave the blond a look as to ask  _ what the hell he was doing, _ but didn’t have time to say so. 

“Sorry, sir,” Naruto gives Sasuke a flat smile before turning to look at the stranger. His hand never lost the tough grip, said stranger eyeing the tan hand in curiosity. “Sasuke doesn’t want to talk to you, so you’re going to have to back out,” Better get to the point. He looks back at Sasuke, watching a little of the anger drain from his face dilute into simple unhappiness. 

It certainly seemed like that this happened a lot, yet no one had the guts to intrude. Or perhaps no one had heard in this time of day. Or it happened  _ too _ often that people ignored it. 

Eventually, his grip on the arm loosens, the man pulling it back and letting it drop to his side. “Do you know who I am?” He said, when Naruto totally expected him to just apologize and leave. 

Naruto wants to laugh at his arrogance. “Does it matter?” 

“Just leave, Itachi,” Sasuke said, stuffing his hands in his pockets, sounding tired. 

Naruto squints his eyes in suspicion, as though it would make the situation easier to understand. 

Looking at  _ Itachi, _ black hair to pale skin and the near black eyes, Naruto could see the little similarities that would tell him the two were related. That was that, though. Their differences outweighed their similarities, from Itachi’s wrinkles that indicated his older age to Sasuke’s larger and emotion filled eyes.

Itachi sighed, rubbing his face as his hair fell off his shoulders. “We’re not done, little brother.” 

Sasuke rolled his eyes. “We never are, are we?” He then scoffed, and when Itachi doesn’t make a move to go away first, he does; with Naruto fast on his tail. 

  
  


*

  
  


“So,” Naruto starts as if nothing just happened, a good distance from that shaded alley. “You wanna go on a date with me now?” He asked, walking right beside him as he looked down. 

Sasuke turns to his side and looks up, stopping his movements. Can this idiot slip on snow already? 

He may be a  _ little _ interested… and perhaps already on that edge of saying  _ ‘Yes, let’s go on a fucking date,’ _ but Naruto’s dickiness always managed to change his mind, for the better or the worse. What the fuck did Naruto truly want? 

_ “Now?” _ Sasuke echoed, “What makes you think I owe you anything?” He replayed out the recent events in his mind. He could’ve got out of Itachi’s stupid fucking radar when he wanted; like he always did. Naruto didn’t have to come and the only difference would be him going out there a little later if he didn’t. 

Naruto stopped a second after he did, only a step ahead of him. He turns to Sasuke, looking as if he couldn’t believe that someone didn’t want to go on a date with him. 

“Okay, fine,” Naruto smiled, and it looked a little forced; that convinced Sasuke even more that this man found him a little annoying, too. He’d laugh at that later. “Hang out, then,” Naruto continued, “There’s this nice ice rink, and I want to go there. With you, preferably. What do you say?” 

He considered it for a moment. 

Or tried to look like he was considering for a little longer, because he felt his heart jump and beg his mind to say yes, as much as his gut said that Naruto’s entrance in his life was a little too abrupt. Not to mention the idiot getting to see him argue with his brother— obviously curious yet suppressing whatever urge he had to ask. 

Naruto simply knew how to use his charm well, and even if he was a dick sometimes… God, Sasuke was in no fucking mood to see if he was a masochist or not. 

Instead, he opts for dragging it out a little more, “We don’t know each other,” he said, crossing his arms. He needed Naruto’s defenses down before he dropped his own. 

“Isn’t that the point of a date? To get to know the other better?” Naruto easily countered, mirroring Sasuke’s stance. Now they both looked like dumb bickering idiots in the middle of the snowy pavement. 

“As if you want to know me,” Sasuke glared, a face he put on so often it slipped on subconsciously. “It’s too sudden.” 

Naruto visibly tensed, but his shoulders relaxed right away as well. “Well, I never paid attention to you, cos’ like I said, you’re a little stuck-up,” he shrugged, looking oddly composed, “But it only interested me!” 

“That doesn’t make sense,” Sasuke’s glared softened, scrunching up his face as he tried to think. Yeah, this man was an idiot of his own league. 

Naruto chuckled, a sound Sasuke has never heard before; regretfully realizing he liked the sound of it. “Well, other than that,” he leaned down towards Sasuke, “You’re super pretty, dunno why I’d pass out on someone like you. Plus, we might…” He looked away, a barely visible blush forming on his face, and Sasuke again realized he liked it too. “Nevermind.” 

Sasuke was positive there was a blush on his face as well, though he didn’t look away like Naruto did. He wasn’t one to bend down easily, however. “So you want to go on a date… because you think I’m pretty?” He grimaced at his own words; he knew he was relatively attractive… that was a little awkward to say out loud.

  
  


*

Fuck, Naruto was lost. Sasuke was blushing in front of him and he momentarily forgets a little too early why exactly he was chasing after Sasuke. 

But, all he needed to do was remind himself of what Sasuke had so shamelessly done to people around them for him to be reminded. He relaxes a little, still finding Sasuke pretty but with raggedy intentions. 

“No,” he answers truthfully. Sasuke’s face must’ve attracted women so naturally but his personality must’ve cut them off good and harshly. He, on the other hand… wanted to go on a date to soon hope to make the other realize what shit he had done wrong. 

It was getting clearer and clearer that Sasuke was interested, as much as how his words said otherwise. Naruto wasn’t going to push it though; Sasuke was going to come to him, and that would be when… he’d end it, just as Sasuke did. 

“Okay,” Sasuke said, still a little flushed. Naruto could see that Sasuke appreciated him not asking too much of what just happened. It didn’t exactly interest him, as Sasuke was one hell of a stubborn bastard and he didn’t seem like Sasuke took any of _ Itachi’s _ shit. 

“‘Okay’ what?” 

Sasuke walked past Naruto again, indicating that he be followed. “Where is that ice rink you mentioned?” 

And God did Naruto try to ignore that stupid stutter in his chest. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is so fucking hard to rationalize, cos I’m trying to keep Naruto’s forgiving and communicative nature, at the same time making him do ‘revenge’ which is something he would not be so intent on doing— LOL anyway, naruto's super conflicting with his and sasuke’s POV fighting each other like that. I promise I’ll explain it : )


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for super late update, lol
> 
> reminder: unedited, CLICHE

Maybe Naruto had overestimated Sasuke’s distaste for him, and he found himself getting annoyed with how competitive Sasuke was being. 

_ So what _ if he wasn’t good at ice skating? Sasuke was only a tad better, and apparently, that was enough for him to smirk and brag at Naruto’s face. 

If Sasuke was going to be that way— he didn’t need to— but he was going to be competitive as well. To say the least, Naruto felt himself play along as well. 

“You suck,” Sasuke commented, gliding along the ice in a way that shouldn’t look so good for someone with so little experience. He chuckled, as though he didn’t just grab Naruto’s arm in a struggle to maintain balance— and Naruto nearly fell with him if they weren’t so close to the side of the ring. “We can stop before you break something,” he teased. 

Naruto rolled his eyes, watching Sasuke’s fingers unwrap his arm to hold on the railing. “You’re not that much better than me!” 

“I’ve fallen on my ass less times than you,” Sasuke countered, cocking an eyebrow while trying to glide away again. He didn’t go too far though, still giving a little of his focus in their conversation. “And this was  _ your _ idea, you should be good at it.” 

“That’s a stupid rule,” Naruto frowned, still gripping onto the cold metal, trying to follow Sasuke without falling on his ass. This ice skating activity was using too much of his muscle, and it looked far less romantic than what was depicted in the media— probably because of how their personalities clashed so much to the point that it was feeling less and less of a date and more of a challenge.

Right. Sasuke Uchiha was a challenge one was yet to overcome. 

“And, look, I thought I’d be good at it—” Naruto waved his hands in the air as if implying there was something so obvious that Sasuke wasn’t aware of, “Considering that I’m an athlete and all. Or be better than someone who isn’t known for doing sports,” he finished, gesturing to Sasuke’s lack of muscle. 

“I am  _ not _ muscleless, you’re just some workout-addict,” Sasuke frowned as well, making Naruto realize how easy it was for them to fall into a casual conversation without cursing at each other. If only Sasuke wasn’t such an asshole. “Dumb blond.” 

“Hey!” Naruto slid closer, Sasuke no longer moving as they looked at each other. “Dumb… brunet.” 

Sasuke choked out an amused laugh, that sounded rather pleasant from someone who didn’t seem to laugh a lot— or even have a sense of humor. He didn’t even know what was funny with what he said, but he supposed it was a hilariously terrible comeback, and Naruto found himself wanting to hear what it sounded like in full.

Naruto feels his face flush, choking out embarrassed laughter through a closed fist. “S-Stop that,” he said, voice muffled. 

Even though Sasuke’s ‘laughter’ had barely lasted a second, his gaze held what his mouth couldn’t express— which was a tauntingly entertained one— and Naruto was falling into it. “Stop,” he repeated weakly, and Sasuke finally dropped that cocky smirk, turning away as he shook his head. 

“Well, let’s move, sucker,” Sasuke called, already letting go and skating away. Naruto, unable to react badly to the casual insult, stumbles right after, trying his best to move on the unfamiliar ground. 

* 

Naruto was whining. And Sasuke, being the impatient person he was, stopped on his tracks for the hundredth time that day to assess whatever the fuck was going on with the blond. He dragged Naruto to the side, crossed his arms, then spoke. 

“What is it?” It was, for lack of a better word, their first ‘date,’ and Naruto didn’t seem to care what shitty impression he was giving— even though Sasuke, admittedly, was nothing but charmed. Naruto was doing the bare minimum and he already felt himself tremble in the knees; having completely forgotten about the little romantic male affection (that wasn’t entirely about sex and dicks) he had gotten back during high school. 

“I’m cold!” The blond explained, looking down at Sasuke with pleading eyes. Sasuke eyes what the idiot was wearing— the stupid usual thing jocks always seemed to be in uniform: hoodie, jeans, sneakers, none of which seemed to protect him from the harsh weather. 

Sasuke ignores the man’s lack of regard for his health for the simple fact that he had willingly gone along. In a way, he got into this situation— gotten into his unfamiliar state of worry for the blond— that he brought upon himself. 

“Aren’t we already headed for the market?” Sasuke asked, cocking his head. Sasuke had his fun on the ice, ready to go home, but Naruto insisted they eat when his face only showed unsureness, like he wanted to go home too. God knew why Naruto would fight himself like that; but Sasuke followed along anyway. They left the rink only minutes ago, after two hours of fucking around and saving each other for slipping, and Sasuke nearly falling along with Naruto when he  _ did _ slip. 

Most of their activities on the ice were racing each other and Sasuke doing his best to dismiss catcalls and suggestive stares, Naruto glared at those people, but not for so long as to scare anyone away; only able to put his focus on not embarrassing himself. 

Thankfully, the blond never got handsy, unlike the girls that had accompanied him (perhaps because Naruto could barely catch up to him). It was unexpected, given how much Naruto clambered all over his attention— but it felt fresh, and the space was appreciated even when he knew Naruto was adamant on being… more than friends, or something. 

Naruto shrugged, “Aren’t you going to give me your jacket?” He asked, mirroring Sasuke’s stance and cocking his head. 

If a girl had told him this, maybe Sasuke would consider offering his coat, but Naruto was larger than he was, and he had no plans on keeping a stretched piece of clothing that was meant to be his. 

It hurt a little to… say, though. “You’re bigger than me. It’s…” Sasuke felt embarrassment climb up his spine— even for an adult, the same stupid sex-related shit that were  _ barely _ sexual was something he never really got used to. 

“Not going to fit?” Naruto tried to continue for him, “Come on! I’m not that fat!” He said, looking at the other man expectantly, looking offended. Sasuke rolls his eyes despite his blush, giving up and making a move to shrug off his coat. 

“W-Wait!” Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder, “I was kidding.” 

Sasuke adjusted his coat on again, eyeing Naruto, exasperated. The hand on his shoulder dropped immediately. “What the fuck was that for, then?” He asked, not expecting an answer. Was Naruto just trying to annoy him? Sasuke started to head for the market, the beginnings of hunger tickling his stomach. 

“Just… trying to get you out of your rich boy thing…” Naruto said as though what he had done was so normal, walking casually beside Sasuke. “Y’know,” he stuffed his hands into his pockets, “The Uchihas are rich and all, so I assumed you wouldn’t dare share your stuff.” 

Sasuke glared at him; when would this idiot ever decide to make sense? “I got this myself.” Sasuke, if given the chance, would add that he had thrifted a good percentage of his clothes. It was a matter of putting them together and finding what fit him the best (and learning that the color green was absolutely horrendous on him). 

“Oh, yeah,” Naruto nodded, surprisingly not glaring back, likely thinking of how they met earlier— and how the fuck whatever Naruto was doing had suddenly caused him to clash with his shift timings, when they had never the past two years. “Part-timer stuff. You earn some money, buy some stuff. But why? You’re… an Uchiha.” 

Sasuke sighed, “You have no sense of privacy, don’t you?” It was clear all Naruto had heard about him were from rumors or baseless news from students. The idiot didn’t even know of his brother!

Naruto huffed, and contrary to what Sasuke thought he’d do; grumble and glare and give him a two minute cold-shoulder before spouting shit again, he continued, “I… I’m just asking! And…” Naruto slips a hand out of his pocket, his arm brushing against Sasuke’s, suddenly sounding embarrassed. “I don’t know… is it too deep?”

Sasuke thought about it for a moment. It was certainly a little insensitive of Naruto to accuse him of being a rich boy that wasn’t expected to work in some small cafe, but given his family’s reputation… he supposed even he would be surprised. 

He opted to postpone the topic, still a little untrusting of Naruto. “Have you ever been on a date?” 

Naruto sputtered, shoulders slightly shaking in disbelief. “Of course I have! I just like to ask questions.” 

The market was already in sight, warm and colorful lights that fought the cold weather. 

“Clearly,” Sasuke said, and decided to give a little answer, “It’s personal.” 

“Okay,” Naruto shrugs, “I probably sounded super stupid, huh?” 

Sasuke scoffed, agreeing. “Very stupid.” 

Naruto ignored him, rolling his eyes as he bumped Sasuke’s shoulder softly. Friendly. “I don’t know too much about part-time stuff,” he shrugged. The two of them were much closer to the open market, reflecting twinkling lights in Naruto’s big blue eyes. Sasuke wouldn’t let himself be found mesmerized. “My parents won’t let me get one— a job, I mean— till I’ve finished college, y’know? So it’s always shocking to see friends earning money… no matter how little, or how normal or small the job is.”

Something lodged in his throat, his heart stopping for a moment. Sasuke isn’t sure whether it was excitement or something completely different— “Wow, we’re friends?” He asked, half wishing Naruto wouldn’t answer. 

“Wh… What the hell?” Naruto flushed, “That’s what you got out of everything I said?” 

“No,” Sasuke shook his head, and not wanting to sound any bit awkward, “You have admirable parents.” 

Naruto rubbed his nose in bashful not-bashfulness. “Yeah, they’re great. They’re at the top of my list of people I want to show off, but I don’t think that’s what you do when you go on a date.” 

“That’s nice to know,” Sasuke hummed thoughtfully, a little jealous of Naruto’s adoration towards his parents. He wouldn’t dare show off his own; but there was no need to mention it now. “And I thought we were just hanging out?” 

Naruto snickered, tugging on Sasuke’s sleeve as he maneuvered them closer, the length of their arms touching, Naruto’s fingers brushing against his wrist. Sasuke jolts, just barely, heat thundering down his spine at the contact. “Don’t get me started with that shit, Sasuke. You called it a date first.” 

“Sure.” Sasuke found himself leaning onto the warmth, the side of his head grazing across Naruto’s clothed shoulder. He hoped it was just due to Naruto’s broad stature, yet he still couldn’t bring himself to pull away. 

*

  
  


“You didn’t have to pay for everything.” 

“I know,” Naruto grinned, sidetracked of his plan. It felt good, spending money on someone so freely. He’d done it before, of course, but somehow, this thing he’d done with Sasuke was unique; maybe due to the fact he hasn’t gone on date in so long. “I’d do it again, too,” he added truthfully. 

“Again?” Sasuke parroted, patting down his coat though it showed no mess. 

Embarrassment floods his veins, surprised at how he slipped out his thoughts so easily. In a sense, he  _ had _ to see Sasuke again, but he already knew that the next time they would, it would be for a completely different reason. On his part, at least. 

“If you’re up for it.” 

Sasuke looked up at him, fixing his collar and collecting his things with nimble hands. 

Naruto, suddenly nervous in Sasuke’s presence, realized that he never got the man’s number— even if it was probably easy to obtain; he was confident that at least one girl would help. But Naruto wasn’t one to ask someone else for someone’s number, finding it creepy and just… weird. He figured Sasuke wouldn’t give his number so easily, either, and he was stupid to never even bother asking first. 

“If you’re up for it,” he repeated, a little more confidently. “Give me your number, and I’ll text you.” 

Sasuke arched an eyebrow, watching Naruto take a piece of paper and hand it to him. “Can’t you just give me your phone?” He chuckled, eyes skimming over the scribbled numbers on the thin paper. “Looks like you’ve got someone else’s already. Maybe you co—”

“No, I won't,” Naruto cut him off, snatching the paper back and crumpling it into his pocket. What the fuck was going on with his thinking, suddenly getting old fashioned? His hand comes out with his phone, typing out the passcode before dropping it on Sasuke’s open hand, leaving the man to find his way. 

“Where the fuck do I…” Sasuke trails off, and Naruto looks over at him, seeing a gentle thumb swipe across his screen, lost. 

Naruto grips the hand holding the phone, pulling it down to see better, ignoring how his palm cups against Sasuke’s entire hand. He brings another up, taking control and opening the keypad, letting go to let Sasuke do the rest. “It’s right there.” 

“You put a theme on your phone, idiot. And I was looking for your notes…” Sasuke said, typing out his number and pressing call. All Naruto could think of was how he wanted to hold those smaller, warm hands against his again, then inevitably let go of them.

—

It took a while before Naruto sucked up whatever guts he had lost to message Sasuke again. That, and the upcoming soccer match against a neighboring college was taking most of his energy and time. 

He could simply send Sasuke a text, asking him to watch, but even that seemed to take too much effort. It was he who was doing his best not to have second thoughts, but something was going on with him, one he was too afraid of to pinpoint when it was just there. 

“Hey, dumbass,” Shikamaru shoved, Naruto nearly dropping his phone in surprise. “If you’re going to be a prissy bitch, don’t do it during the match, alright?” He grabbed a bottle off the bench and started pouring water into his mouth. 

Naruto scoffed and shoved the man back. “Can’t I have some time to think?” 

Shikamaru released an exhale, swallowing the cold liquid. “Of course you can, but it’s so limited that I’d rather you save it for when the time comes,” he taunted, and uncaringly, continued, “You have to get on the field again.” 

“Fine,” Naruto sighs, and as much as possible, without thinking, he types out a quick message, one that he would regret sending later. He was extending his breaks (only for a minute or two, though) to check on his phone and to think of what to say, causing suspicion within the team, because Naruto would never waste any fucking time on his  _ phone _ when he could toss and kick on some soccer balls. 

Loudly, never directed to him, they’d whisper stupid assumptions— ‘did Naruto finally find someone after two years of being questioningly single?’, To which he’d—equally as loud— deny, because it was true anyway. 

“Wow, that’s super douchey,” Shikamaru commented, snickering at what Naruto had typed out and sadly, sent.  _ “Come watch my match? _ Great, Naruto. Epic revenge plot on Sasuke and you can’t even manage to be charming.” 

“How is it douchey?” Naruto reread his message. Sure, maybe he should’ve greeted first, or anything, but he felt more confident getting straight to the point. “I’ll have you know that I’ve charmed him enough to get his number.” 

“Oh, wow, really?” His teammate looked genuinely surprised, eyes a little wide with a knowing smirk. “Thought you’d just ask one of his exes.” 

“I wouldn’t do that.” 

“Obviously, you didn’t,” Shikamaru retorted, “What’s he like?” 

Naruto thinks of how he was likely more charmed than he had charmed Sasuke. Tiny things that he managed to like. His face warms up, fighting against the cold weather, glaring at Shikamaru. “None of your business.” 

Shikamaru, seemingly forgetting that it was he who had just said they had to get back to the rest of the team, smirked, cockiness switched on. “Getting possessive now, Uzumaki?” 

Naruto grimaced at the accusation of being possessive, and being referred to with his last name. “I’m not. Just get to know him better for yourself.” He put his phone on the bench, wiping his face with a towel one last time before grossly dropping it on the device. 

Shikamaru chuckled, walking aside him as they started to head towards where the rest of their teammates were. “No thanks, that’s why I’m asking you. I’m not going to ruin your plans.”

“Ruining my plans?” 

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, “Whatever, idiot.” 

  
  
  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: struggling whether to use past or present tense 
> 
> Sorry for the late upload lol

Sweaty and exhausted, Naruto is left to his thoughts. Thoughts that were heavily Sasuke-tainted, all coated with a dirty measure of embarrassment; because Sasuke had said _No._ Rejection wasn’t exactly foreign, but it never failed to sting annoyedly, much more so with how he set his ego up and front— he hadn’t expected it! 

He stared at his phone in disbelief, trailing his eyes over the two letters repeatedly. 

_Y not?_ He sent back, though it was more of to save his pride than to change Sasuke’s mind. To his surprise, Sasuke had replied instantly, but it hadn’t meant anything new. 

_Don’t want to._

_Let me know if u change ur mind_

_I won’t._

_Fine_

Clicking his phone off with an embarrassingly frustrated sigh, Naruto leaned back on his seat. His revenge plan was simple at first— get close, guarantee the feels, then break it off with a laugh. Instead, he was getting himself ticked off, even when Sasuke had every right to… to say no. 

Even Sakura, who still didn’t seem to be okay; confidently still in love with Sasuke, was distant from him, and it all seemed like another phase of hers that dealt with heartbreak, even though Naruto had never seen her this affected. Despite her pain, she seemed to forgive; or rather, simply deny, and it had made Naruto consider for a moment— to consider forgoing his plan before he found meaning in his and Sasuke’s time together, to leave him be while there was still safe distance between them. 

It was difficult to maintain consistent thoughts when the fact that the man had hurt so many others remained, but he’s carefully finding the right place to align his thoughts— revenge meant retaliation, and it didn’t mean he had to be merciless. Sasuke was just one person, a person who didn’t seem to give his mercy; and so there were consequences he needed to face. 

Scoffing against his palm, Naruto nearly slammed his head onto the seat in front of him. _What the fuck was there so important to think about?_ Sasuke was hot, willing, and if it went where it would, in the end, that would be Sasuke’s problem to deal with.

—

When he gets down his stop, Naruto is surprised to see Hinata nearby— and he wants to avoid her, because the woman was louder than he was, fearless and shameless, and he wasn’t up for another confrontation. But Hinata, fuck, this bright-eyed woman, didn’t miss him— partly because _who_ could miss him, jacket nearly illuminating under the littlest of lights, golden hair a blessing in the dark. And now, he’s face to face with the woman, looking down at her with a questioning look of his own. 

“Shikamaru told me,” Was what she said, striding right in front of him as he subtly tries to look away like he didn’t see her, but he squints in confusion when she doesn’t elaborate. He’d told Shikamaru a million things, a mix of secrets and careless exchanges during light banter, and this could be from the one time he had fallen into a brief crush on Sakura to when he had seen Hinata steal a book from the library. 

Naruto tapped against the phone in his pocket, curious, “Told you what?” 

“About Sasuke,” like a snake, she curled around him, her polished nails coiling around his arm while she leaned close. “Wanting to get it on with Mr. heart-of-steel—” She giggled, “Which is a funny thing to say, I didn’t think you were capable of being even cornier. I didn’t even think Sasuke would be into dudes; he’s bisexual?” 

“He’s…” Naruto wanted to say _open-minded,_ but Hinata was being too suspicious, and it wasn’t really her business to know. He placed a hand on the arm curled around him, silent but questioning. “Okay, this is… you don’t live near here. What do you want?”

“I wasn’t looking for you, dumbass,” She stepped away from him, loosening his grip but keeping a hand on his arm. “Your basketball buddies live around here, alright? I came for them. I’m already on my way back. Missed my bus just as I reached the stop, so I’ll have to wait around twenty minutes till the next one.” 

“Oh, okay, cool,” Naruto nodded. He’d usually respond with the same enthusiasm, but his exhaustion from practice quickly pulls him down. Shifting on his feet, he waved lightly, “Well, bye then.” 

Slim fingers rose to stroke on his sweat-dried sideburns, and he paused. “I want to help, y’know, we could do well with changing that hair of yours.” 

Naruto knew what she was talking about— and there weren’t too many other options to pick from, but he didn’t want to believe it, though it seemed like it wouldn’t be far from believable if Hinata wanted to help initiate his revenge— he started to feel even more asinine with every passing moment, and he pushed the girl from his space completely. “Help with what, my haircut? It’s the middle of winter. The more hair the better.” 

“You can always wear a hat after I help you get into Sasuke’s pants— I nearly got there myself, too— but if you just want to… ugh, _love him,_ I guess, I could help too,” she shrugged, “Shikamaru said you were desperate.” 

Naruto sucked up a deep gulp of air— okay, fuck, _that_ wasn’t what he expected. Yeah, he should’ve trusted Shikamaru more. 

“D-Desperate… I’m not desperate,” he scowled, looking at her with widened eyes as he pushed the hand from his face. He gripped the wrist just as it went back to advance. He didn’t want anyone to get too involved with his and Sasuke’s progression. “I don’t need your help. I can do fine myself.” 

“Sure you don’t— you’re telling me you don’t look around for Sasuke like a lost puppy?” _A lost puppy;_ he nearly choked. No fucking way people looked at him that way when he— he didn’t even _try_ to look for Sasuke, it just happened, he just showed! 

“Look, Hinata,” Naruto sighed, released the wrist and shoved his hands into his pockets. His peripheral shone with the streetlights that had suddenly flickered on, and Naruto’s urge to go home is strongly rejuvenated. “Not everyone is as easy as you, alright? Cutting my hair and changing my clothes won’t get me closer to Sasuke. So don’t push yourself into this while you’re not part of it.” 

Snatching her wrist from him, Hinata glared. “I don’t know why you’re after him; especially since he’s left that bitch of yours in scraps, and I’m only offering to help because I unintentionally just caught up with you right here, ” and before Naruto could protest once more— because why in the fuck would this woman call Sakura a bitch— Hinata continued, unashamed and confident, “But you don’t get to be a jackass, you could just be one of Sasuke’s other bitches— so at least fall with it slightly more dignified.” 

“…Fuck’s sake, fine,” Naruto nearly growled, conceding in mild annoyance. He supposed Hinata could help in some ways, though she didn’t know of his ulterior motives. “Not today,” he said just as Hinata perked up, muttering a goodbye before slipping from her space. 

—

The next time he sees Sasuke is two days before the day he has to be on the field. A week of nearly not talking to each other, he’s now stood in front of the man, both of them somewhat bleary-eyed, both due to supposedly different reasons— his team’s practice was in the morning, and it meant he couldn’t skip any classes, and so Naruto had to live through the day with the extra stress of school. There’s this slight stir in the pit of his belly, an uneasy feeling; keeping him on edge. 

They’re stood by the main building’s entrance, mostly because that was where Sasuke was around, the man tapping his foot impatiently, and Naruto had approached him he was about to leave. Students were littered across the hall, too busy and uncaring of them. 

“Have you changed your mind?” Naruto asked, looming over Sasuke’s space. “It’s tomorrow, y’know. Just for a couple of hours. And… like usual, probably a party right after.” 

“No,” Sasuke looked up at him. His face is blank, slightly flushed due to the cold, and there’s a tired quality to it. “I’ll be busy.” 

“What for?” 

Sasuke gave him an eye-roll, one that Naruto frowned at. “Club, you idiot. Unlike you, I’ve got things to do.” 

“I have a match tomorrow, you asshole—fuck,” Naruto paused in realization, grabbing Sasuke’s shoulders. “Wait— that’s, the festival—that’s two days after the match! I don’t have, fuck, I didn’t even _join_ a club—” 

Naruto instinctively leaned close mid-rant, and it’s then he realized how Sasuke scowled at him, hand by his arm as to keep some distance. Embarrassed, Naruto jerked away, nearly gagging at his own words, “Since I don’t have anything to do— I could help, if you want.” 

Sasuke arched a brow, slightly smirking, skeptical as he took a step back and crossed his arms. “What could you possibly help with?” 

“Anything if you don’t go to the party…” Naruto trailed off, well, chances are he wouldn’t be going either. As fun as they were sometimes, they weren’t if they were right after something so tiring. 

The hallway was quiet, urging him to continue because staring at Sasuke’s face didn’t really work as a response. “What’s your club doing, anyway?” 

“Just like all the other clubs,” Sasuke said carefully, as though he hadn’t been so expressively comfortable around Naruto just a week ago. They were students with unique responsibilities, busy and constantly pushed to exhaustion, but _surely_ a week didn’t mean they’d be reverted to what they were before. Then, Sasuke continued, “A restaurant-entertainment service.” 

“Shit, cool, yeah, I don’t want to be— I’m _not_ part of that,” Naruto raised his hands in defense, as though Sasuke would force him into it right that moment, but Sasuke only arched a brow. Recollecting his thoughts, Naruto dropped them slowly, and before anything else can change his mind, he muttered, “But I can still help. I want to help.” 

He felt awkward at the suggestion because Sasuke was still this brooding bastard, and though he was _still_ such a brooding bastard, the changes in his mannerisms were a sight to behold. 

“No,” Sasuke looked away momentarily to flick his phone open, only quick enough to check the time before he faced Naruto once more. “You’d only be a bother. And I have to go,” Sasuke flicked his phone open again, “Sor— bye.” 

Naruto frowned; no way Sasuke could be this cold so fast, and it hurt more than it annoyed him. He found himself saying things he felt like he shouldn’t have meant, slightly nervous as he muttered, “…Did I do something wrong?”

Sasuke eyed the hand on the wrist, then looked up to glare at Naruto. “No, you didn’t.” Sasuke tried to pull from his grip, but Naruto didn’t feel like letting up just yet. “I’m _going.”_

_“If I didn’t do anything,”_ Naruto pushed, gaze heavy on Sasuke’s onyx eyes, “Then just let me help. I don’t see the big deal.” 

And then Sasuke flushed, the color suddenly discernible from his pale wrists— _and flushed not just because of the cold—_ Naruto flushed too, confused; not knowing what to do with a reaction completely came out of nowhere, the two of them shifting but not pulling away.

“W-What?” Naruto stammered. He let go of Sasuke’s wrist, something he realized he in their little time together he’d been doing a lot; watching as it slumped by the man’s thigh. God forbidden thighs, too— fuck, looking strong and lean and—

“Nothing,” is what the bastard replied, seemingly trying to suppress whatever emotion he had with a frown, but emotion couldn’t be helped, and Sasuke only looked like he was struggling. “After my part-time, then, on Saturday, if you’re free.” 

“What the fu—” Naruto raked a hand through his hair as a weak show of surprise, and sighed. Keeping up with Sasuke should be another sport on its own— this man’s charm was… what the fuck, why was it working on him?! “Okay, yeah, I’ll be there,” Naruto let out a breath, looking ahead just because he couldn’t bear to see more of Sasuke’s expressions. 

—

“I don’t want to cut my hair.” Naruto knew he was more nervous than him being completely opposed; unsure of how his hair would actually go— and Hinata, though she had gorgeous silk hair, hints of her own undercut whenever she tucked a strand behind her ear, it wasn’t a promise his own self would look the same level of good. 

Hinata snapped the scissors in her hand threateningly, unfaltering as she approached him despite his protest. She probably knew he was interested; her other hand holding a razor, thumb already hovering above the switch, ready to turn it on. The smile on her face was just as terrifying. 

“Why not?” _Snip, snap._ “Trust me, I’ve done this a million times. You should’ve seen how I cut Kiba’s hair back at high school— you’d look totally hot in an undercut,” she rolled her eyes, “What did you expect going to my apartment?”

“Ugh, I don’t know,” Naruto eyed the gadgets in Hinata’s hand skeptically. “Not this.”

“Look, Naruto, if you expected sex—”

“I wasn’t—”

“I wasn’t finished, shut up.” She cut him off, “If I wanted to have sex with you right now, I would’ve already asked you.” 

Naruto pursed his lips, watching the blades approach his head. He was far gone, but not desperate. Maybe, short hair, if this in the end went to hell, would look good on him— he had never had a blade so close to his scalp besides the times he’d shave off some stubble or snip some hair as to not tough his eyes. “How did you meet Shikamaru anyway?” 

“Partially thanks to you, but this isn’t that huge of a campus,” Hinata shrugged and put the scissors and razor by the table to his right. She pulled out a comb and began raking it through his hair, pulling relentlessly until tears began gathering painfully. “Once you make it to some sports team— volleyball, basketball; in your case, soccer,” She continued as though she wasn’t abusing his scalp, moving behind him, “You aren’t so hidden with your identity anymore.” 

“Oh, I’m popular, aren’t I?” Naruto chuckled, but he yelped as Hinata tugged on his roots. “So… Did ya’ fuck— ouch, calm down— did ya’ fuck— _ouch!_ What the hell, this isn’t supposed to hurt that much, is it?!” 

“This hair is a waste on you,” Hinata commented bluntly, “It’s soft and it’s a nice shade of blond— an obnoxious shade of blond everybody probably likes.” 

Naruto frowned, wanting to rest his chin on his hand, but Hinata tugged him back to place. She probably wants him to follow her lead and change the topic, but he wasn’t really up for bending to her will too much. 

“So you _did_ fuck him, huh?” He’s sure he sounded cocky, but it comes with the price of pain. But when the grip on his hair tightened; if Hinata wanted to deny anything, the reaction only confirmed his assumptions. “So you did,” he hissed, blinking away the tears that threatened to spill. “Why are you so pressed about it? I don’t care. He’s all yours.” 

“You are so fucking dumb,” Hinata pulled the comb through his hair once more before placing it by his hand. Naruto glared into nothing in particular, wincing when he felt the cold plastic of clips graze my his ear. 

“Keep fucking him if you want—” another harsh pull, his hair clipped to the side, “—you _bitch._ I get it. You don’t like catching feelings.” 

“I catch feelings for fucking everybody, that’s the problem,” Hinata scowled, surprising Naruto with the outburst. “Had you stayed the morning we fucked, I would be chasing after you right now.” 

Rustling followed, Hinata wrapping a plastic bag around his neck a little too tightly. “Glad I didn’t stay, though pursuing you wasn’t in my To-Do list. I just figured that was how one-night stands worked.” 

“I’m exaggerating, but sure; sober sex with your friend was nice,” she said, and Naruto could practically feel her rolling her eyes as he gagged at the additional information. “Probably why I like him now.” 

“…I don’t want to know,” he weakly said just as Hinata began snipping the ends of his hair, internally mourning as he watched strands of short hair flicker by his cheek. “But thanks for telling me, I guess?” 

The woman scoffed, combing his hair with every snip. The layer of awkwardness between them still stood, but it was quickly being torn down with every exchange. “These phases don’t last anyway— it’s why I’m open about it. Or maybe you’re hot enough to trust.” 

Naruto laughed in reply, “Is that why we’re all so into Sasuke?” Fuck, nope— he was on edge, right at the turning point of admitting things he shouldn’t. “You’re pretty hot too, y’know,” he added, despite his whirlwind of invading thoughts. 

“I know,” Hinata agreed as she moved on to another section of his head. “The privilege of looking good, perhaps. It’s easy to forgive somehow who you find attractive— Sasuke really threw me out one day and I couldn’t bring myself to get too mad at him,” she mumbled, “Maybe it’s also the price of always letting yourself out there.” 

“I guess,” Naruto sighed just as she pulled the clip out of his hair, pulling his hair and clipping it on the other side; the snipping moving near his other ear. “Sasuke,” He paused. “He’s so much of an asshole that looks wouldn’t— _shouldn’t_ be able to save him from some type of retaliation, but I’m,” he coughed into his sleeve, unsure of how to continue, not exactly wanting to tell Hinata of his intentions after her sudden revelation, “…Not immune.” 

Naruto didn’t hold the same sentiment as Hinata did, didn’t carry the same pride. W _hy would he,_ when there was still this larger part of him that that wanted revenge—because despite how distant he felt from Sakura right now, the distance was only a reminder of what had been done. Even Hinata! She wasn’t as heavily affected, yet the bitter hints of sadness in her tone remained, and it slowly stuck with him. 

He was an idiot who wore his heart on his sleeve, a dumbass easily influenced— and he nearly brings a hand to his face, slightly shy, thoughts of Sasuke invading him in ways he didn’t want to admit. 

“Sorry for calling Sakura a bitch, by the way,” Hinata continued after substantial silence, but she said it in a way that implied she never really meant in the first place. “As fun as relationships are, I don’t actually want to jump into yours with Sasuke— the bastard didn’t even look annoyed when you dragged him around, so maybe he likes you already.” 

Naruto wanted to ask where exactly they’d been seen, but it suddenly felt like a stupid question with how known Sasuke was. Though the man wasn’t flashy, he was still Sasuke. 

“And though I still believe Sasuke’s going to ditch you,” she scoffed, albeit sadly, “Admittedly, I’m interested to see what’s going to happen.” Hinata was working on his hair patiently, and he could feel her begin to snip more purposely, pinning all of his hair on the top of his head. “Heh, not that I want to see you cry, or something, but… if it happens, it does,” then she barked out a laugh of near disbelief, tapping Naruto on the shoulder with a heavy hand; and he flinched at the sudden outburst— what was with people around being so damn _unpredictable?_ “I can’t wait to see you a different fucking haircut— this bird’s nest hair of yours has gotten too old.” 

“You’re much easier to talk to than you put off, y’know,” Naruto chuckled. “Maybe you make a good friend.” 

“Didn’t ask,” Hinata snorted, as though his opinion was so stupid. “Our first proper conversation was me asking you to have sex with me— now shut up and let me cut your hair.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> man i want to see undercut naruto /head in hands/
> 
> \+ i'm going awfully slow with this. i haven't even jumped into any actual conflict yet


	6. Chapter 6

He shouldn’t have listened to Juugo, the jerk face redhead who spouted shit about this being their last year when it _wasn’t,_ the guilt of practically neglecting his friend coming into play along with it. That, and he’s lying to himself— he knows there’s more to why he’s here, because it’s never happened before; and it meant there was more to the change than he’s willing to accept.

He shouldn’t be here— nope, no, and he’s a moment from just admitting defeat and walking away; drowning himself further into the stupid planning for his club's booth, but the plan all goes to shit when a familiar blond idiot stops him in his tracks— stops him before he can even move. 

“Y...You said you wouldn’t go,” Naruto blurted, eyeing him with what seemed to be slight betrayal. The tall dumbass got a new… new hair, and Sasuke didn’t even know where to begin with _how it—_ how it stirred something in his guts for reasons he was yet to come to terms with. 

“I’m not here for you,” is what he managed to say, because there wasn’t anything else to say. Though he annoyedly found himself getting slightly fond of Naruto, there was a danger to it that wasn’t the type he’d jump into; or more accurately, one that he wasn’t allowed to jump into, and it set off the defenses he shouldn’t have let down in the first place. 

“Like that makes anything better,” Naruto huffed, and Sasuke wondered if the man should be here by the bleachers in the first place. Naruto was already in full uniform, the blond idiot standing out like a sore thumb amongst the casually clothed audience— one of which Sasuke was. 

“I’ll leave,” Sasuke said as he rolled his eyes, and he’s too afraid to weigh just how little nonchalance he put into it, “If you’re so bothered.” 

And though he’s used to getting unwanted attention, the two of them in one space seemingly on the verge of bursting into a full-blown argument drew in too much attention, much more than usual; Naruto’s naturally overwhelming presence held over him with the threat of suffocation. It didn’t matter how he sat by the back and by the edges of the bleachers, Naruto found him and made it clear his warmups were less important, the blond’s teammates to sporting amused faces they probably thought he would miss. 

“I’m not, you jackass,” Naruto glared, though it was more of a slight annoyance than anything of malice, “I’m just surprised, I guess.” 

“Surprised enough for you to waste your time with me here,” Sasuke shrugged and looked past Naruto, to the field and to the steadily filling bleachers opposite where he was, “Go away— you’ll need all the time you get if you want any chance in winning.” 

“Training all the time will just burn you out. Not like I want to train all the time, either,” Naruto waved a hand as his shoulders shook lightly, somehow finding this amusing. “I’m just trying to relax right now. Sasuke Uchiha, heh, still very prissy aren’t ya’?”

Sasuke mirrored Naruto’s glare, fists clenched against the roughened fabric of his coat. “This is why no one has faith in you.” He’s just being flat-out mean, but he’s desperate here to keep afloat. 

“Maybe if you attended all my previous matches all these years you wouldn’t sound like a total asshole— who doesn’t know what they’re talking about— right now,” Naruto scoffed, and Sasuke returns his sights to him with raised brows, “I’m better than you think.” 

“What I think of your skill isn’t too much, anyway,” Sasuke retorted, a little sour; defensive, crossing his arms and tucking his hands under in his armpits to protect his wrists and hands from the lack of warmth. He knew it would be heated up soon, but the chosen time with the given weather was still cold, and it was taking its toll. It’s making it harder to focus. 

Silence passed, a little _too_ long, and Sasuke almost wondered if he’d almost gone too far, but Naruto’s next words shove him into another state of incredulity, slightly awkward because just who let their mouth spill so much shit? 

“Say, to relax, since you _clearly_ need it. During the festival,” Naruto said, pausing as he tried to recollect whatever thoughts he’d messed up, “Uh, I mean— the festival, at some point, you should be free, right?” 

Sasuke paused.

Slow to respond, Sasuke feels his stomach curl, and he can barely feel how the presences around them scoot around; hesitant to sit by him. It’s embarrassing, how quick he found himself giving in; the time he’d (unintentionally-intentionally) spent away from Naruto was mostly spent drowning himself in embarrassment and shame forever letting himself _warm up_ to someone— let alone _a man—_ so fast and so easy. 

He didn’t want to know the exact number of how many times he let himself slip; be it him blushing stupidly just because he couldn’t fucking control that, or laughing at Naruto’s bullshit. As refreshing as the man’s presence was, the guilt and fear that came with it were beginning to outweigh what exactly what he felt he wanted. 

“Like I said,” Sasuke eyed the man, squinting in suspicion, though his stomach already made it clear what his answer was— or _should_ be, but thankfully his filters still work. “…Unlike you, I’ve got things to do.” 

“Yeah,” Naruto scoffed, “Things to do that I’ll be doing with you— I mean, you’re still letting me, right?” 

Before Sasuke is forced to deal with more of Naruto, or give him another answer, the tall lights that blare brighter highlight the cold mist in the area, followed with music blasting throughout the area with a thrum. 

As Naruto shook his head off the surprise, with one final grin that’s seemingly lopsided— because without another answer shall the old one remain, just another thing Naruto does that Sasuke’s going to have to work to forget, the blond pounces down the bleachers with lack of care. 

— 

It wasn’t difficult to be interested in the sport, he supposed. Though most of it was confusing, looking away was miles more challenging than trying to figure it out. The clashing colors of the two teams made it easy to separate them, and the premise of the game wasn’t as different as an average person would’ve thought; play with everything but your hands, shoot it to the goal opposite your field. 

It was interesting enough that Sasuke was surprised to find himself fighting the urge to yell and rise to jump to his feet when Naruto— _fucking Naruto;_ the idiot he genuinely hadn’t set high standards for nor low— kicked the last ball and secured the last point that confirmed their absolute victory. 

He only sat there, flabbergasted; like a strong gust of wind had knocked him off a tightrope— like something had just taken all the air from his lungs— the air too warm to remind him just what exactly the season was. 

It would be delusional of him to reason that the only reason his eyes were on Naruto was for the simple fact Naruto was the only one he knew— because Juugo was still there, and even when he tried his best to keep his focus on the redhead, _it didn’t work,_ gaze always redirecting and drifting towards the blond; despite not always being the one to dribble the ball. 

Konoha’s team, rightfully living the high wave of their victory— never mind it was only a friendly match— finally moved to acknowledge the other team. They walked from either side of the field, shaking hands as they crossed; joy practically radiating from the men that wore their black littered-gold school spirit. 

…Why was he still here. 

The crowds were as quick to disperse, crowding the pathways to and from the exit and entrances; all in a rush and in a hurry to probably drown themselves in stolen beer and whiskey one of the rich jackasses in their school own. 

The school spirit, Sasuke’s continuously disgusted to find out— _who_ could _ever_ be that dedicated to their school— was a thousand times amplified compared to how tame they were in hallways; waving the black and gold colors high and proud. Even Naruto, _and Sasuke should’ve expected this,_ was utterly _brilliant_ as he and his team stood in the middle of the field, singing along with their school cheer.

As blond let himself drown in the lights, he’s suddenly ripped off his jersey, exposing the abs Sasuke has yet to see up close— the black littered with gold shirt he knows has to be sweaty and smelly thrown into the horde of raised hands and sweaty bodies.

Sasuke is grossed out, to say the least, but also baffled at Naruto’s popularity; because nowhere in campus when he did see the blond did he have that many people follow him— the level of respect others seemed to carry currently lost in the moment; one that Sasuke was yet to give. 

_Why was he still here?!_

Just as he’s about to stand and run away— never mind the stuffed pathways, stuffing his cold hands into the warmth of his pockets, he’s abruptly stopped, not by a passing person but deliberate; pink hair invading his vision, the situation filled with raging familiarity. 

He sighed, in a hurry, because with the way Naruto was, it wouldn’t take long before he was spotted and forced to go to another party he isn’t going to have fun in. Sasuke takes a step back, the woman too close to his space, eyeing her questioningly. 

“What?” He’s already itching to make another move around her. There really wasn’t a hurry, but with the way everything seemed to hold him back, he was getting more and more rushed, reflecting the increasing pressure. 

“Get away from Naruto,” she said, and his eyes slightly widen at the confrontation. He’d expected her to demand for another explanation that wasn't about him losing interest, but instead, he was pulled into a position that makes him feel like he's missing something— what the hell was Naruto telling this woman? 

“You tell him to get away from me,” he snorted snidely, quickly, not caring for her to elaborate. This was just as ridiculous, and it felt as though he was in the middle of those romcoms one of his past girlfriends once forced him to sit through. He made a move to walk away, exasperated, but is pulled back to a pause when a hand wraps around his elbow. 

“I’m serious. You know how you are. Stay away from him.” 

If they were friends, and if _he_ wasn’t the one that dumped her, Sasuke would be surprised to see Sakura move on so fast— but that isn’t what happened; so he ripped his arm from her steadily tightening grip, annoyance sticking the back of his throat when he speaks. 

“Stay away—” and it sucked how affected he sounds, how prickly he felt for being told to _stay away._ “You know how I am,” he echoes incredulously, “Don’t you?” 

_It’s not me who asks for this,_ he wants to add, but he leaves it unsaid; nothing but a heavy weight between them. Naruto’s presence is something he’s hesitant to categorize as annoying or welcomed; but Sakura doesn’t need to know that, especially when he’s the one supposedly at fault. 

However, the woman doesn’t waver, “Naruto doesn’t deserve—” 

“I don’t give a damn,” he snarled, faltering slightly when she flinches, but the crowds are rapidly dispersing as it is moving, a wave pulled by the wind, and there’s an opening he can take. “Look, sorry,” he tried, half-hearted. There was no reason to be extra calloused, and he knows there isn’t any ‘leading on’ he’s wordlessly accused of doing, and he doesn’t want to apologize for something he can’t help. “I don’t control what Naruto does, and neither do you. Leave us— leave _me_ alone.”

She doesn’t look baffled or disturbed. Only stared at him with a blank look, but there’s impatience behind it that reminds him of… of Naruto. It’s the opposite look of what initially made her bearable, even interesting; and he realizes how similar Sakura was to her friend, but there's one fatal flaw he doesn’t want— or isn’t exactly allowed to accept. He has one type, two factors, and as embarrassing as it is to admit, one of said factors happens to incline towards extroverted idiots. 

“I mean what I said, Sasuke,” Sakura continued to push, this time sounding solemn for an utterly different reason, but Sasuke’s already looking ahead. With one final glance at her, blank yet cold, he walked away, hands curled into fists within the warmth of his pockets. 

—

Looking on, Sasuke rode off the withering lights and light cheers of his fellow campus students. 

Right, a party.A thing he was only invited to when he was in a relationship (though it was likely more than that). 

The students that lingered were by the gate, waving goodbye to others that were probably on their way to Tenten’s mansion, or Kiba’s mall of a home that smelled too much like _dog,_ excited with this seemingly infectious warmth that kept them from the frigid air. He shifted on his feet, rocking back and forth before forcing himself to a stop— why he felt unrest, he couldn’t point out, but his hands twitched to grasp for something. 

He should at least say goodbye to Juugo— _in person—_ but it’s already been too long, and he’s probably by one of two highly possible destinations. In the next three months, he’ll talk to Juugo, maybe even apologize despite the redhead already having forgiven him; seemingly like default. 

Alone, sitting by the bus stop, Sasuke finally let himself dwell in Sakura's words, and more; Sakura’s intentions. It shouldn’t be difficult obeying her demand, to “stay away” from Naruto, because he was supposed to— but just because he was didn’t mean he could nor did it mean he… would. 

…From experience, Sakura was a fairly simple person and didn’t do unnecessary things; as Sakura’s ways of protecting her friend was her trying to protect his feelings too.

See, he was spiteful, and though Sakura wouldn’t dare approach him like that once more, it would still stick with him; like the persistent piece of gum stuck by a tiny crevice under one’s shoe— and never will he find the time to scrape it out, only letting it wither down there until he eventually forgets, which he won’t. 

Still, it embarrassingly felt like he was grasping at straws, which he was, if only to find a reason to… _and it hurt to think— hurt to admit,_ to be around Naruto, while still saving his pride. He feels young, dumb, like a child who’d just experienced the height of his hormones with how he’s acting, and he’s doing everything in his power to keep his cool; still relishing the time he has not acting upon these urges. 

It’s all dawned on him at once, but he’s alone, so it’s okay; so when he groans into his palms the embarrassment only comes from his overactive thoughts. Focus on the cold, the cold! 

…

…

“—ke! Sasuke! Sas—”

Oh God, oh fuck no, he was only in the process of gathering his thoughts, and the bane of fucking everything was here. Why wasn’t he on his way to the— 

“Sasuke! Is that your bus?! Wait for the next one— wait!” 

Warmth tingling by the ends of his fingertips, he tapped against the surface of his phone, feeling it vibrate open with every other touch; a habit he realized he’d been doing much too often, much too recently. He ignored Naruto, not finding anything else more suitable to do, but unlike all the other things he managed to learn quickly, adjusting to Naruto’s personality was not one of them. 

“Refusing to answer me won’t get you anywhere, y’know,” Naruto suddenly poked him on his side. He tried to slap the hand away in retaliation, but it’s much too fast for his reach, so instead, he’s left to glower. 

He looked up at the man, noticing the golden hair that glimmered against the bright streetlights. His hair is slightly slicked back, messy, and Sasuke would’ve never thought he’d reach a state of finding undercuts— the damn tryhard haircut— _hot._

Sasuke faltered, always in a state of confusion. 

“You aren’t going—” Sasuke stopped himself, not wanting to sound too curious. He didn’t think Naruto was the type to give up a chance to socialize. “What are you doing here?”

“Like I said, I wouldn’t go if you had something to do tomorrow. Which you said you— nope, now _we_ do have things to do,” Naruto shifted against his side, his duffel bag brushing against Sasuke’s clothed arm, “You were in a hurry the other day, but hopefully your answer hasn’t changed.” 

Sasuke eyes the bus driver, impatient, waiting for the bus to leave because they weren’t going to board it; before answering, “Just go to the party.” 

“But I want to go with you tomorrow,” Naruto insisted, but he then sounded a little skeptical of himself, “I’ve… I’ve set my mind to it.” 

“Why would you.” It’s no question. Sasuke doesn’t want to know the answer. This persistence Naruto held against him continued to chip down on his walls. 

“…Dunno,” Naruto laughed, shrugging, and Sasuke can hear his bag rustle. He’d long looked away, but this uncharacteristic gentle laughter— though slightly hinted with disbelief— wants him to stop looking on. 

“Fuck,” Naruto groaned, “I’m tired. I don’t know how everyone can still stay up that long, it’s amazing. And they talk about me being energetic,” he’s talking to himself at this point, but Sasuke doesn’t stop him, “Heh, I’m talking like I haven’t gone to most of them. I would’ve probably gone to this one too, but… Y’know, _changes.”_

“Good for you,” Sasuke managed to say because even he had a limit to how much of an asshole he wanted to be. He doesn’t want to let his overactive brain overthink just what Naruto’s _changes_ could imply. Or so he’s convincing himself. He doesn’t exactly want his bus to be here anymore either. 

Naruto hummed, sounding a little mindless, yet the slowness of it tells how relaxed he is. Sasuke only wished he wore something thicker, just so he can focus on something else; just so the beating of his heart and the state of warmth he knew his face was on wouldn’t so contrast with the paleness of his skin. 

This speedy thrumming, he doesn’t like it. There was once the unease of jumping into unknown territory, but now it tingles with a hidden threat, wrapping around him with deceiving comfort. 

He... He’ll cross that bridge when he gets there. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you ever get a crush on someone and just stop thinking rationally and everything is just how to spend more time with your crush even it means looking stupid yeah


End file.
